Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration


Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration was a Swedish administrative authority which existed from 1954 to 1968. It sorted under the Ministry of Defence and had the task of overseeing the administration of the Swedish Army. From 1964 to 1968, the authority was called the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration.

History and organisation

The Ordnance Department of the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration was reformed on 1 July 1954, into an independent authority under the name of Armétygförvaltningen. At the same time, the Commissariat Department of the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration had been reformed into the Royal Swedish Army Supply Administration, which meant that the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration ceased. After the Royal Swedish Army Supply Administration on 1 July 1963 was amalgamated into the Quartermaster Administration of the Swedish Armed Forces, the Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration changed name on 1 July 1964 to the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration. The Quartermaster Administration of the Swedish Armed Forces and the new Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration was amalgamated into the Defence Materiel Administration on 1 July 1968.
The Chief of the Army was also chief of the Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration from its formation until 30 June 1963. During this period, the closest command over the authority was exercised by a vice chief, who had the title of Master-General of the Ordnance. From 1 July 1963, the head of the authority was no longer subordinate to the Chief of the Army. At the authority, there was also the Deputy Chief of Ordnance, who, from 1 July 1957, was deputy to the vice chief and from 1 July 1963, deputy to the head of the authority. The vice chief and the chief were from 1954 to 1968 members of the Administration Board of the Swedish Armed Forces.
The authority initially consisted of five departments: Vapenavdelningen, Fordonsavdelningen, Elektroavdelningen, Verkstadsavdelningen and Inköpsavdelningen. In addition, there were four independent bureaus: Tygförrådsbyrån, Ammunitionsförrådsbyrån, Normaliebyrån and Administrativa byrån. Other units were the Centralplaneringen, the Materielinspektionen, Provskjutningscentralen and Personalkårexpeditionen. The Test Firing Center was amalgamated into a unit of the Weapons Department on 1 July 1957. The Central Planning and the Materiel Inspection were subordinated to the Deputy Chief of Ordnance from 1 July 1962. On 1 July 1964, the Underrättelsecentralen was added and on 1 January 1966 the Datacentralen was added, which also were subordinate to the Deputy Chief of Ordnance. The heads of the Workshop Department and the Purchasing Department were referred to as Army Chief Director and Purchasing Director respectively. The head of the Administrative Office was referred to as Krigsråd. The authority's board consisted of the Deputy Chief of Ordnance, the heads of departments and the head of the Administrative Bureau. On 1 July 1968, the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration's hierarchical organization was transferred largely unchanged to the Army Materiel Administration in the Defence Materiel Administration.
The Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration's personnel in 1954 amounted to approximately 1,350 people. Of these, about 360 served in the Weapons Department, about 210 in the Vehicle Department, about 210 in the Electrical Department, about 130 in the Workshop Department and about 80 in the Purchasing Department. A total of about 330 people served in the Ordnance Storage Bureau, the Ammunition Storage Bureau, the Normaliebyrån, the Test Firing Center and the Administrative Bureau. In addition, a total of about 25 people were included in the Central Planning and the Materiel Inspection.
In 1964, the authority's personnel amounted to approximately 1,375 people. Of these, about 340 served in the Weapons Department, about 220 in the Vehicle Department, about 215 in the Electrical Department, about 125 in the Workshop Department and about 65 in the Purchasing Department. The Ordnance Storage Bureau, the Ammunition Storage Bureau, the Normaliebyrån and the Administrative Bureau consisted of a total of approximately 370 people. In addition, a total of about 40 people served in the Central Planning, the Intelligence Center and the Materiel Inspection, all three of whom were subordinate to the Deputy Chief of Ordnance.
The authority's activities were regulated by the following instructions:

1954 instruction

The authority's 1954 instruction stated: ”the Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration exercises under the King in Council in technical and economic terms, the top management and oversight of the ordnance administration in the Swedish Army." In addition, the authority was obliged:
visits the Swedish Ordnance Administration School in 1967. In the foreground we see conscript Leif Gustavsson who learns welding through programmed teaching.

1959, 1963 and 1964 instructions

The authority's 1959 instruction stated: ”the Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration exercises under the King in Council in technical and economic terms, the management and oversight of the ordnance administration in the Swedish Army.” This was changed in the 1963 instruction to: ”the Royal Swedish Army Ordnance Administration exercises under the King in Council in technical and economic terms, the management and oversight of the administration of the army of ordnance and ammunition.” The wording was repeated in the 1964 instruction, except that the name of the authority was changed to the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration. In addition, the authority was specifically obliged:

1965 instruction

The authority's 1965 instruction stated: ”The Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration is the central administrative authority for the administration of the army ordnance and ammunition.” In addition, the authority was specifically obliged:

Purchased materiel

Among the materiel that the authority procured are: Stridsvagn 81, Pansarbandvagn 301, Pansarvärnspjäs 1110, Ksp 58 machine gun, Infanterikanonvagn 103, Lastterrängbil 912, artillery tractor, Stridsvagn 74, Lastterrängbil 957, Bandkanon 1, Haubits 4140, piercing projectiles, high-explosive anti-tank warheads, Stridsvagn 103, Pansarbandvagn 302, Bandvagn 202, 40 mm lvakan m/48, Spaningsradar PS-04/R, Centralinstrumentering 760, Luftvärnsrobot 67, FIM-43 Redeye, Bantam, Automatkarbin 4 and Radiolänkstation 320.

Heads

Master-General of the Ordnance and the vice chiefs of the authority
Master-General of the Ordnance and heads of the authority
Deputy Chief of Ordnance
Heads of the Vapenavdelningen
Heads of the Fordonsavdelningen
Head of the Elektroavdelningen
Army Chief Directors and heads of the Verkstadsavdelningen
Purchasing Directors and heads of the Inköpsavdelningen
Heads of the Tygförrådsbyrån
Heads of the Ammunitionsförrådsbyrån
Head of the Normaliebyrån
  • 1954–1968: Civ.ing. Bror Bergman
Krigsråd and head of Administrativa byrån
Heads of the Centralplaneringen
Heads of the Materielinspektionen
Heads of the Provskjutningscentralen
Heads of the Personalkårexpeditionen

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